Tooth Infection Or Abscess
A dental abscess is a pocket of pus at the tip of your tooths root caused by a bacterial infection. An abscessed tooth can cause severe pain that radiates to your ear and jaw on the same side. The lymph nodes in your neck and throat may also be swollen and tender.
Other symptoms include:
- sensitivity to heat and cold
- pain when chewing and swallowing
- swelling in your cheek or face
Children And Certain Adults Are At Increased Risk
Anyone can get strep throat, but there are some factors that can increase the risk of getting this common infection.
Strep throat is more common in children than adults. It is most common in children 5 through 15 years old. It is rare in children younger than 3 years old. Adults who are at increased risk for strep throat include:
- Parents of school-aged children
- Adults who are often in contact with children
Close contact with another person with strep throat is the most common risk factor for illness. For example, if someone has strep throat, it often spreads to other people in their household.
Infectious illnesses tend to spread wherever large groups of people gather together. Crowded conditions can increase the risk of getting a group A strep infection. These settings include:
- Up to 3 in 10 children with a sore throat have strep throat
- About 1 in 10 adults with a sore throat has strep throat
What Causes Strep Throat
Strep throat, also known as streptococcal pharyngitis, is caused by bacteria called group Astreptococcus, or Streptococcus pyogenes, which can seed the nose and throat.
You can get the infection from someone who is sick with strep, as it spreads through close contact with saliva.
Symptoms, which include fever, sore throat, red tonsils, and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, typically begin one to three days after exposure and last seven to 10 days.
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Essential Oil For Strep Throat
Essential oils are distilled from the leaves, bark, stems, and flowers of plants. They may help promote healing by killing germs and reducing inflammation.
The medical benefits of essential oils are controversial. However, studies show the following essential oils can be an effective alternative to over-the-counter medications for treating the symptoms of strep throat:
Are Antibiotics Always Necessary To Treat A Strep Throat
Although most Strep throats will get better by themselves, there is a risk of acute rheumatic fever and other complications occurring. The CDC recommends that all patients, regardless of age, who have a positive rapid antigen detection test or throat culture receive antibiotics.
Antibiotics have been shown to:
- Shorten the duration of Strep throat symptoms
- Reduce the likelihood of transmission to family members, friends, and other close contacts
- Prevent the development of rheumatic fever and other complications.
Viral sore throats should not be treated with antibiotics. Treatment is usually given for ten days and liquid antibiotics can be given to children who are unable to swallow tablets or capsules. Some patients may benefit from a single shot of penicillin intramuscularly.
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What Are The Symptoms Of A Strep Throat
Generally, Strep sore throats tend to be very painful and symptoms persist for a lot longer than sore throats due to another cause. Swallowing may be particularly difficult and painful. Symptoms of a Strep throat may include:
- Sudden onset of sore throat
- Very red and swollen-looking tonsils and back of the throat
- Sometimes streaks of pus or red spots may appear on the roof of the mouth
- Swollen and tender glands in the neck.
Children are more likely to feel sick and vomit.
People with a Strep throat do NOT typically have a cough, runny nose, hoarseness, mouth ulcers, or conjunctivitis. If these symptoms occur there is more likely to be a viral cause for the sore throat.
Some people are susceptible to the toxins produced by the S. pyrogenes bacteria and develop a bright red rash that feels like sandpaper to the touch. A rash caused by S. pyrogenes bacteria is known as Scarlet Fever . Although it usually follows a sore throat, it may also occur after school sores .
Alternative And Complementary Therapies
Home remedies cant cure strep throat but they can combat discomfort. Simple solutions, like drinking tea with honey and lemon or gargling with warm salt water, can soothe symptoms and even reduce swelling, suggests the CDC. Cold foods, such as ice pops and ice chips, work to numb pain, too.
You can also use a vaporizer or humidifier, which adds moisture to the air. This calms a dry, painful sore throat and eases congestion, notes the CDC.
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How Can I Treat Earache At Home
You can ask your pharmacist about using over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat the pain. Children under the age of 16 should not take aspirin.
Placing a warm flannel against the affected ear may also help relieve the pain.
Your pharmacist may also be able to recommend over-the-counter eardrops for your earache, but let them know your symptoms and ask for their advice first.
Eardrops or olive oil drops should not be used if the eardrum has burst, and they will not help an ear infection.
If you or your child has an ear infection, you should avoid putting objects in the ear, such as cotton buds, or getting the affected ear wet.
Pediatrician Located In Argyle Tx
Theres rarely anything worse than seeing your child in pain. Common childhood conditions, like ear infections and strep throat, can cause persistent discomfort and pain, but Carrie Jones, MD, can help. At Argyle Pediatrics in Argyle, Texas, Dr. Jones offers on-site testing and treatment options to clear infections in the ears and throat so your child can feel better. Learn more about treatment options for ear infections and strep throat by calling the office today or using the online booking feature.
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Are Strep Throats Contagious
Yes, Strep throats are contagious, and the bacteria are easily transmitted and spread by coughing or sneezing or after coming into contact with infected droplets, and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. Transmission of bacteria can also occur via contact with people with Scarlet fever, or other group A skin infections.
Without treatment, people with Strep throat can pass on the bacteria to others for one to two weeks after symptoms appear. The best way to prevent infection is to wash your hands often and always before eating or after being in contact with an infected person. Do not share utensils, linen, or personal items. People with Strep throat or scarlet fever should stay home for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotics or until they feel well enough to return to school or work.
Can Strep Throat Go Away On Its Own
In some cases, strep throat can go away on its own. However, if strep throat does not go away on its own, it can lead to potentially dangerous complications such as scarlet fever or rheumatic fever. Due to this, it’s best to treat strep throat with antibiotics, which will give you quicker relief of your symptoms.
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How To Know If You Have An Ear Infection
An ear infection can occur out of nowhere, with no underlying cause, and is typically very painful.
Its common for an ear infection to be accompanied by a cold, the flu, allergy flare-ups or a sinus infection.
If youve developed an ear infection, you may also experience pain in the ear, fluid in the ear, swelling and the feeling that there is pressure in your ear.
Other common symptoms of an ear infection for adults include pain in the ear, difficulty hearing, drainage of fluid from the ear and a low-grade fever.
Most ear infections are a result of bacterial or viral infections in the middle ear, which are more likely to occur in children than adults.
In fact, around half of all infants will deal with a middle ear infection before they turn one year old.
Childrens symptoms will also differ from those of an adult, with a middle ear infection causing loss of appetite, loss of balance, a decrease in sleep, headaches, irritability and crying, a fever, ear pain, drainage of fluid from the ear and tugging at the ear thats infected.
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What Are The Important Warning Signs
Strep throat infection often starts as sore throat. With the gradual progression of the disease, the following signs and symptoms become prominent-
- Swollenness and redness of tonsil glands
- Inflammation of neck glands, accompanied by constant throbbing pain
- Extreme tenderness of the neck glands
- Presence of pus on the reddened tonsil glands
- Pain in the neck glands radiating to adjoining areas such as ear
- Pain in ear especially during swallowing or chewing
- Increased warmth of a sore throat
- Fever and headache
The following methods will help you combat a strep throat infection:
- Get extra rest and drink herbal teas to soothe the pain.
- Take the due antibiotic medication course and make sure that you take the complete prescribed dosage. The most widely used antibiotics are amoxicillin and penicillin.
- OTC painkillers may also be prescribed to reduce the painful symptoms.
- Home remedies such as consuming bone broth, apple cider vinegar, raw honey, and vitamin C rich foods can help with the infection.
- Gargling with warm saline water will get rid of the bacteria and ease the pain in the throat.
In order to prevent a strep throat:
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Strep Throat Vs Sore Throat
Sore throats are pain in the throat that is typically caused by a virus. It can be due to bacteria, allergies, pollution or throat dryness. Strep throat is an infection of the throat caused by bacteria. Sore throat is a symptom of strep throat and its also a symptom of other respiratory conditions. Both are contagious they can be passed from person to person in any place with close contact.
Not many people with sore throats have bacterial infections. According to the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, viruses cause 85 to 95 percent of throat infections in adults and children younger than 5 years of age. Viruses cause about 70 percent of throat infections in those aged 5 to 15 years, with the other 30 percent due to bacterial infections, mostly group A strep. Natural sore throat remedies should be your first choice, as antibiotic treatment will not help a viral infection.
It can be hard to tell the difference between strep throat symptoms and symptoms of a viral infection. Remember, while trying to make a self-diagnosis, that strep throat doesnt include cold symptoms, like coughing, sneezing or runny nose. If you have a sore throat with cold symptoms, its likely caused by a viral infection and its not strep throat. Try strep throat home remedies to find some relief from your symptoms.
What Are The Different Types Of Ear Infections
The most common type of ear infection is called acute otitis media . As mentioned above, this typically causes pain and fever. Other types include:
- Otitis media with effusion . This happens when the fluid remains behind the eardrum even after the acute infection clears up. A child may not have symptoms but the doctor can see the fluid when looking inside the ear with an otoscope .
- Chronic otitis media with effusion . This happens when the fluid is trapped for a long time or keeps returning. COME can possibly affect hearing or make it hard to fight off new infections.
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How You Get Strep Throat
Group A strep live in the nose and throat and can easily spread to other people. People who are infected spread the bacteria by talking, coughing, or sneezing, which creates small respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria. They can also spread the bacteria from infected sores on their skin.
It usually takes two to five days for someone exposed to group A strep to become ill with strep throat.
It is important to know that some infected people do not have symptoms or seem sick. People sick with strep throat are much more contagious than those who do not have symptoms.
People can get sick if they:
- Breathe in respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria
- Touch something with those droplets on it and then touch their mouth or nose
- Drink from the same glass or eat from the same plate as a person infected with group A strep
- Touch sores on the skin caused by group A strep or come into contact with fluid from the sores
Rarely, people can spread group A strep through food that is not handled properly .
Strep Throat Vs The Common Cold
Strep throat and the common cold have different causes. Viruses cause the common cold, while a bacterial infection causes strep throat.
If you have a common cold, you usually have symptoms like coughing, a runny nose, and hoarseness. These symptoms, especially coughing, are not common with strep throat.
When your throat is sore due to a cold, the pain usually develops gradually and disappears in a couple of days, although some colds can last up to 2 weeks. The pain from strep throat can occur suddenly. Its more severe and can persist for days.
Colds typically clear up on their own without the need for medical treatment. To prevent complications like rheumatic fever, antibiotics are usually prescribed to treat strep throat.
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When Should I Contact My Gp
It’s not always necessary to see your GP if you or your child have earache. Your local pharmacist is always on hand to offer help and advice on how you can manage the problem. The pain will often improve in a few days and there are things you can do to help in the meantime.
You should contact your GP or local out-of-hours service if:
- you or your child also have other symptoms, such as a high temperature , vomiting, a severe sore throat, hearing loss, swelling around the ear, or discharge from the ear
- there is something stuck in your or your child’s ear
- the earache doesn’t improve within a few days
To assess your condition at home use our earache self-help guide.
Is This The Correct Antibiotic
The good news is that most children with ear infections do get the right prescription. In a separate report in JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr. Adam Hersh of the University of Utah and colleagues found that 67 percent two-thirds of children with ear infections got the correct prescription. But only 37 percent of adults with sore throats and sinus infections did.
This study provides evidence of substantial overuse of nonfirst-line antibiotics.”
The teams used two big national surveys from 2010 and 2011, which they said were the latest available. We do not have reason to believe practice patterns have substantially changed, Hershs team wrote.
Medical experts have been complaining about the misuse of antibiotics for two decades, but the message still is not getting through, Hyun said.
Patients also need to get tough on themselves and their doctors. Ask: “Is an antibiotic really needed? Is this the correct antibiotic? he said.
The CDC says more than 2 million people are infected by drug-resistant germs each year, and 23,000 die of their infections
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Alternative And Complementary Therapies For Tonsillitis
No supplements treat tonsillitis, although there is a lozenge that contains the probiotic BLIS K12 , that may help reduce the chance of getting tonsillitis, says Tod Cooperman, MD, the president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent organization that reviews supplements and other types of products that impact consumer health, wellness, or nutrition. Research, however, suggests the probiotic may not yet have enough evidence for how and when it should be used.
A 2019 review published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection concluded that K12 was safe and well-tolerated and may potentially be beneficial in protecting children from throat infection. According to the authors, further randomized controlled studies are needed to establish whether K12 could be an alternative to antibiotics, as it is not likely to be effective if given along with antibiotics or if the probiotic could be used as a preventive treatment for people who get frequent bouts of tonsillitis.
Always talk with your doctor before trying a supplement because it may interact with other medications you are taking or have other side effects you should know about.
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Reasons For Recurring Strep Throat
Researchers have examined why some people are more prone to recurring strep throat infections. In one study, researchers examined why some people experience reinfection while others resist it. They examined tonsil samples from two groups and found those with recurring infections had:
- Smaller germinal centers
- Reduced antibacterial antibodies
- An inefficient immune response to GAS
In addition, some people are carriers of GAS, also called colonization. Carriers are people who are asymptomatic but test positive for strep bacteria on a throat culture.
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What Is Scarlet Fever
Scarlet fever is the name given to a bright red rash that develops following a Strep throat, although it can also develop following school sores .
Scarlet fever is less common than it was one hundred years ago because of antibiotic use and it only occurs in those who are susceptible to the toxins produced by the Streptococcal bacteria. It mostly occurs in children aged 4 to 8 years. By 10 years old more than 80% of children have developed lifelong protective antibodies against streptococcal toxins, whilst infants younger than 2 still have antibodies against the toxin that they acquired from their mother. This means that if two children in one family develop Strep throat, only one may develop scarlet fever.
Scarlet fever is a bright red rash that feels like sandpaper to the touch. The rash typically starts on the neck, underarm, or groin as small, flat red blotches that gradually become fine bumps and feel rough to the touch. In the body folds the rash may appear a brighter red . Facial flushing is common although a pale area may remain around the mouth. After seven days, the rash fades and some skin peeling may occur over the next month or longer, particularly around the fingertips, toes, and groin area.
Left untreated, Scarlet fever may progress to:
- Ear, sinus, and skin infections
- Joint inflammation
- Rheumatic fever
- Glomerulonephritis